10 Upper Spencer Gulf criminals who appeared in court so far in 2023

From a race car driver who left a teen with a brain injury after a horrific crash to brutal bashings, these Upper Spencer Gulf offenders have faced court in 2023.

From horrific domestic violence attacks to drug dealing enterprises being exposed, these are the Upper Spencer Gulf offenders who have fronted court so far in 2023.

Luke Calverley

Luke Calverley. Picture: Facebook

A rugby talent’s horrific domestic violence rampage involved choking and bashing his partner until she lost consciousness, a court heard.

Luke Wayne Calverley, 38, was jailed for over two years after the mother of his two children was forced to play dead to escape him.

During sentencing, the court heard Calverley and his partner returned to their Crystal Brook home in the early hours of January 1, 2020, following New Year’s celebrations in Port Pirie.

“You grabbed her arm and placed your hands around her throat … you squeezed while pushing her head into the hall,” Auxiliary Judge Gordon Barrett said.

Police attended but the victim dropped the charges as she wanted to work on their relationship.

LISTED: 2022 UPPER SPENCER GULF CRIMINALS

The court heard Calverley then choked the victim for around 30 seconds in April 2020.

Calverley then pushed her into the doorframe and grabbed her hair, ripping out a chunk of it.

He pushed her to the ground and began punching her.

“You kicked her repeatedly to her legs, back and stomach, she vomited due to the force of your kicking,” Auxiliary Judge Barrett said.

The victim tried to flee but Calverley caught her and drove her head into a fireplace, causing her to lose consciousness.

When she came to, Calverley continued to strangle and punch her – threatening that if she tried to escape again, he’d kill her and she would not see her children.

“She pretended to play dead … when she heard you go to the toilet she ran out of the house to a neighbouring property, screaming for help,” Auxiliary Judge Barrett said.

The victim was hospitalised for four days, suffering bruising and red marks around her neck.

Calverley, of Hackham, pleaded guilty to causing harm with intent and choking.

Calverley was sentenced to two years and five months jail, with a non-parole period of one year and six months.

The sentence was backdated to December 14.

Luke Cartwright and Stacey Matthew

Luke Cartwright. Picture: Facebook

Stacey Matthews. Picture: Facebook

A methamphetamine dealer in a country town who recruited others to do his dirty work when he wasn’t available had a win in court after he avoided jail.

Luke Aaron Cartwright, 42, and Stacey Matthews, 38, were both handed suspended sentences in the District Court for running the drug dealing business out of Port Augusta in 2021.

During sentencing submissions, Kimberley Ballans, for the prosecution, told the court Cartwright was “in charge” of selling the drugs and recruiting his co-accused to sell them when he wasn’t available.

“He was selling predominantly half gram and half ball amounts and was selling on tick,” Ms Ballans said.

“He put effort and care into the quality of the product he was selling and when a person complained and threatened to go elsewhere he offered partial refunds and so was effectively trying to keep his customer base happy.”

Cartwright, of Cadell, pleaded guilty to seven counts of drug trafficking, while Matthews, of Port Augusta, pleaded guilty to two.

Judge Gordon Barrett sentenced Cartwright to two months and six months jail, with a non-parole period of one year and ten months.

The sentence was suspended on $1000, three year good behaviour bond.

Matthews was sentenced to one year and nine months jail, with a 12-month non-parole period.

Her sentence was also suspended on a $1000, two-year good behaviour bond.

Allen Bonham, Kaziah Hanslow and Benjamin Lange

Benjamin Lange. Picture: Facebook

Kaziah Hanslow. Picture: Facebook

A trio who left a man with a broken nose in an unprovoked bashing were scolded by a judge for their “thuggish invasion” on a man in his home.

Allen Stewart Bonham, 54, Kaziah Jean Hanslow, 39, and Benjamin Wayne Lange, 42, all avoided jail for the callous attack over a missing electric scooter.

During sentencing, the District Court heard the 57-year-old victim was home alone when the trio and an unknown female came to his Port Pirie home at night on March 23, 2022.

When he opened the door the group pushed their way into the house.

“Bonham began yelling and demanding the bikes from the victim, and he asserted that they had been stolen by the victim’s daughter,” Judge Gordon Barrett said.

After the victim continued denying any knowledge of the missing bikes, Bonham began throwing punches at him which caused him to stagger backwards onto the couch.

When the victim attempted to stand up he was punched twice by Lange, causing him to fall down again.

The court heard the group then came across the locked bedroom of the victim’s daughter and after threats the victim unlocked the door.

In the room was a desk with a CCTV monitor on it, which Hanslow threw to the floor – completing the trio’s “disgraceful” course of conduct.

The victim suffered a broken nose from the attack, with the court hearing the crime changed his life and left him feeling depressed and anxious.

Lange, of Port Lincoln, and Hanslow and Bonham, of Port Pirie West, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm.

Judge Barrett sentenced Bonham to 17 months jail, with a non-parole period of 11 months.

Lange was sentenced to 12 months jail, with a non-parole period of six months, while Hanslow was sentenced to nine months jail.

Judge Barrett suspended all three sentences on a $1000, three year good behaviour bond, with supervision for two years.

Keely Bown

Keely Bown. Picture: Facebook

A race car driver told her passengers she knew what was doing before a horrific crash that left her teenage passenger with a traumatic brain injury.

Keely Bown, 22, avoided jail after her car became airborne and rolled several times while she was travelling 45km/h over the speed limit.

During sentencing, the District Court heard Bown was driving her 2008 SS Holden sedan on December 23, 2020.

Riley Leesong, 16, and 17-year-old Crystal Wastell-Stevens were passengers in the car as Bown drove out of Port Pirie in the direction of Nelshaby.

Mr Leesong and Ms Wastell-Stevens said Bown was significantly exceeding the 100km/h speed limit.

“They told you to slow down to which you replied ‘I’m a race car driver. I think I know what I’m doing’,” Auxiliary Judge Gordon Barrett said.

“A neighbour along the road on which you were travelling heard your car accelerating aggressively through the gears.”

The court heard Bown was a race car driver, having been involved in motor racing for some time.

The court heard Bown was driving along a straight stretch when she came upon a water course dip in the road.

“You were going so fast that when you came out of the dip your car became airborne and you lost control of it,” Auxiliary Judge Gordon Barrett said.

“The car rolled several times.”

The court heard Bown and Ms Wastell-Stevens did not suffer serious injuries.

The court heard Mr Leesong suffered life threatening injuries, including a severe traumatic brain injury, torn spleen, torn bowel and collapsed lung.

Mr Leesong was left with cognitive problems, hand tremor and a speech difficulty, with his lengthy recovery traumatic for him and for his family.

Bown, of Port Pirie West, pleaded guilty to causing serious harm by dangerous driving and causing harm by dangerous driving.

Auxiliary Judge Barrett said he would sentence Bown that she was travelling at about 145 km/h into the dip and lost control because of the excessive speed.

Bown was sentenced to two years and 10 months jail, with a non-parole period of 18 months.

Due to Bown’s young age and no criminal history, she was ordered to serve the sentence on home detention.

Bown was also disqualified from driving for 11 years and ordered to pay $818.95 compensation to Mr Leesong.

Ronald Ballone

A Port Pirie man was jailed after being caught driving with a commercial quantity of cannabis, following previous exportation charges from Adelaide to Darwin.

Ronald Norman Ballone, 60, was pulled over by police while he was driving from Adelaide to Port Pirie in a vehicle belonging to his partner, who’s drivers licence was expired at the time.

Attending officers noted a strong smell of cannabis in the car and subsequently searched the vehicle, finding ten pounds of the drug hidden away in garbage bags.

Ballone was to be paid with one pound of weed in exchange for delivering the other ten pounds, the court heard.

Ballone received a sentence of two years and six months jail, with a non-parole period of two years and four months.

Dillon and Tallen Kilpatrick

Tallen Kilpatrick. Picture: Facebook

Two brothers were jailed after they brutally attacked a man with a shovel and ice pick, before stealing a motorbike.

Tallen ‘Red Dog’ Kilpatrick and Dillon Kilpatrick changed the lives of another set of siblings, victims Philip and Brenton How, with their vicious joint enterprise.

Philip was flown to the Royal Adelaide Hospital with injuries including a broken jaw following the attack – which occurred on March 21, 2020 in Whyalla Norrie.

Brenton had his motorbike, valued at $2000, stolen by the brothers.

During the brothers’ trial, Philip said he was woken by Brenton who alerted him Dillon was at their door.

The court heard after a verbal disagreement Philip was chased into his backyard by the Kilpatrick brothers and another man.

“An ice pick was thrown at the back of my head, I ducked and it missed, then I was hit in the back of the head by a shovel,” Philip said.

“Then I was grabbed in a headlock by Dillon who strangled me and dragged me across the (backyard) sandpit area.”

Tallen also assaulted Philip and Brenton’s mother, Kerrie Shaddock, following the incident after she went to his house to square a $200 debt that Philip owed.

The court heard that for a year leading up to the backyard assault, Philip regularly purchased around $1000 of meth a fortnight from Tallen.

The Kilpatrick brothers’ lawyers offered ulterior motives for the incident including a hotel car park burnout that Philip allegedly performed near Tallen’s girlfriend.

A jury found the Kilpatrick brothers guilty of all charges – causing harm with intent, theft and assault over the incident.

Judge Paul Cuthbertson sentenced Tallen to four years and nine months jail, with a non-parole period of two years and ten months.

The sentence was backdated to November 23.

Dillon was sentenced to five years jail, with a non-parole period of three years, which was backdated to March 2.